Means for making packing material for chemical apparatus



lJem. 4, 1949.

` Fon MAKING PACKING MATERIAL FOR CHEMICAL APPARATUS `Fil-led May 24, 1945 G. B. BAILY ET A| A 2,458,238 MEANS l P\- 50 45 g/ 4549 46 sa 44\\45 fw 55 Ema.

A Troewers,

Patented Jan. 4, 1949 aereas -MEANS1F0R MAKING PACKING MATERIAL FR CHEMICAL ,APPARATUS ,George B. lBailey and Otto Ziegler, 'Michigan City,

Hays ,Corporativa Michiraee if Indien@ en Cial.

Appia-'anon May ai, 194.5. :seal Np. 59.5.5226 1'1 xClainis., (C1. 1410-1115) `This invention relates to means for ,making packing material for a lclqiemical apparatus. 'More particularly, the invention relates'to means"lfor bending, shapingandicuttingwire to form packing ,material for use in gas analyzers, reflui; .con- ,densers, gas scrubbers, and .like chemical .apparatus. 4

Packing material of thispharacter is described Ain the patent application .of George B. Bailey, ,Serial No. 577,851, .led February 14, 1945. 'It is made up of ya .large quantity of ysimiliar fsmallwires which are so bent and twisted that they .areclose spaced when iilling a chamber of a chemical apparatus and presenta large surface `area .to facilitate chemical reactionin.theapparatua without so packing or otherwise-compacting as to ob struct fluid -low in .the chamber. rIol'iewires are preferably bent in sinuous shape `and are also twisted along their length Ain `such amanner .that each will contact (a flat surface .at only 1.a"few spaced points thereof. .The wires l.should be .of the same shape and -the same length to insure uniformity of the packing throughout .the space or chamber receiving the same.

It is the primary object .of .this .invention .to A

provide apparatus for making packing material of the type above mentioned.

A further object is to provide ,a simple, accurate and compact device for producing .packingmavterial rapidly and uniformly.

VOther objects will lloe apparent from the description, drawing and appended claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a top plan viewof the device, withpart of the gear block removed.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal verticalsectional kView taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged side view of Aan elementof the packing.

Fig. 4 is an edge View vof a ypacking element taken at right angles to Fig. 3.I

Referring to the drawing, the .numeral 1.0 kdesignates a base plate. .Standards -ll `projectyupwardly from opposite sides of the base .plate at one end thereof and mount a transverseshaft .2. The shaft i2 journals a plurality of wire reels i3.

VSpacers lll preferably separate the 'adjacent reels and position them properly along the shaft. Shaft l2 may be slidable endwise .relative tothe mounting standards or may be otherwise removf ably mounted on the standards to .permit vready replacement of the reels.

A second pair of standards I5 adjacent to standards Il serves to journal -arlower. transverse shaft 48 andan uppertransversegshaft il. Shaft s lli '2 mounts .alillufelty of spaced .Crimping ,gears f1.8 Yand 1shaft lllrico'unts 'a plurality of 'spaced lcrimp*- ing gears IS .meshing with ,gears 18. `'The crimping gears haveteeth .of rounded contour which A `are so shaped d proportioned as to .provide "clearance .for wire ,20 fed from `'reels L3 ,and :passing ,tliertebetl leen to be crimped in sinoufs If'oifin las ,shown inF-igl .2. Spacers 2l serve to position he gears'l'Sand L9 properly upontheir respec- Utve Shafts...

A lower gear block 22 extends transversely `of -the .base plate yin"sr .;`iced relation ,to standards 1,5, a dan .upper .gear .block .23 is vrein.oi/ably .mounted thereon. `.'I`l'ieV y p block 12? has .a plurality of .longitudinal .passages 24 .formed therein. @30h .in 1,9m-

eitu'nl alignment .with one Set "Lof .meshing vgears. These .passages e .enlarged `.r.n,.0i1.ths`.ir1 which bushine'siare Lountedu BiiShlneS .25 preferably' have .erilareedflieads .2.6 :bearing laeast the freni edge Qf 'the' .bleek .and .Shank Dertns .which arerslotted vertically. The vhead `2fe"h`as a .vertically elongated passage @rewarding with the '.shanksloti nd f va size to yfreely and slidafbly lre'ceive they wi e crimped ,by gears Ylll-lili. 4The A age 21'4in'1the vgeafrblock a2 Vcommunicateswith I ular l'recessesA lzl'jrrrned' in said V-hlozk toereceive a plurality of se of e crimping gears 28,23, 'salaud 3l vpsitiojneaiheirizoritauy; The garsbf reach of thesesets haverounded teeth which -rnesh but Ahave suiicient '-clea-rance therebetween jt'oacycorrimodate thev -passage'of one of `the wires"`20 therebetween. rlheIlfiorizontal crimping gear sets are arranged ir'i's'taggered relation, as shown in Fig. 1. The innermost gears .of 'the outer sets preferably Zmesh directly with .the outermostgears 'of the adjacent inner sets,v so 'that :there vis la di- "rect drawing connection .for eachpair tof gear sets. .Onejof .the directly .meshing gears of y.each such pairof sets .has .a studshaftf journaledjn the uppergear :block 23 andm'ounts a bevel gear .3sat its'upper end. .lheblocklzhasiongitudinal .grooves es aligned .with grooves ...2li leading .the gear .recesses-.25 toitherear :thereof: JG .34 accommodate the .lateral rimpingofthe, .by .theeears -.i-n.tneeeer;b19lss. and each-1S lan- .gitudinally inclined. upwardly and outwardly. as .shown in vFig. 2, from a 'level1.appreximateli4 flush ,withthe bottom of .the gear atits `inner end.- .The lower @look .22 .miens beyond the .weer ,bleek atgits rear-endend mounts ahardened'shear plate 3 5 -ivhose .upper surface. is .flush v'lith l,the vbotl'lcms Vof thefouterlends' of theV grooves in .the'loivier frein eeen :side y of g projecting radial blades 39 whose outer edges cooperate with the shear plate 35 to Acut wire projecting beyond sai-d plate.

One end of shaft 31 mounts a drive pulley 40 for connection with a power or drive member by means of a belt (not shown). The opposite end of shaft 31 mounts a pinion 4|. A stud shaft 42 is journaled in the standard 36 adjacent to pinion 4|, and mounts a gear 43 which meshes with pinion 4|. Shaft 42 also mounts a pinion 44. A transverse shaft 45 is journaled in opposite standards 36 in spaced relation above the gear blocks and above the bevel gears 33, and mounts bevel gears 43 which mesh with gears 33. At one projecting end thereof the shaft 45 mounts a gear 41 which meshes with pinion 44. A pinion 48 also meshes with gear 41 and is mounted in a stud shaft 49 journaled in one of the standards 36. A gear 50 is mounted on the projecting end of shaft l1 and meshes with pinion 48.

In the operation of the device, the wire 20 is lfed to and between a set of the gears |8|9 by which it is crimped in a vertical plane as shown at run 5| thereof. These gears serve to advance the wire. The'run 5| passes to and through the slotted bushing 25-26. The narrow width of the slot of this bushing serves to position the run 5| with its crimps in a substantially vertical plane. The wire then passes from the bushing through a passage 24 in the gear block to and between one of the sets 283| `of the horizontal crimping gears in the gear blocks. The horizontal crimping gears rotate at a slightly greater peripheral speed than the gears I 8|9 and tension and reshape the crimped wire. The reshaping tends to twist and bend the wire. The wire is restrained by the slot in bushing -26 vfrom rotating to permit the previously formed crimp from meshing with the horizontal crimpingl gears. The resultant reshaping of the wire tends to reduce the amplitude of the Vertical crimp to a narrow or shallow undulation while imparting a major sinuous bend in a. horizontal plane to the wire. The reshaped wire then passes in a run 52 through a passage 28 vin the gear block to and across the shear plate 35, being so advanced by the crimping gears. The shear blades 39 serve to sever the advancing run 52 at regular intervals. v

The severed sections or elements 53 of the wire are illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4. Fig. 3 illustrates the major sinuous bends imparted by the horizontal crimping gears 2li-3|, and Fig. 4 illustrates the minor undulations in a plane transverse to the major bends thereof which result from the action of the horizontal crimping gears upon the previous vertical crimping of the wire imparted by the vertical gears lil-I9. The length of each element 53 is the same by virtue of the equiangular mounting of the shearing blades 39 upon the mounting discs 38 and the timed re lation of the rotation of said discs tothe various crimping gears effected through the train of driving gears therefor. The size and'shape of each of the uniform elements may be varied at will by substituting crimping gears having diifer-l ent configurations andsizes of gear teeth and by substituting rotary cutters having blades of dilerent peripheralspacing. Alternatively, the length of each element 53 may be varied by sub` vacting crimping means.

- 4 stituting gears of a diierent ratio for the gears 4| and 43.

In the operation of the device, it will be observed that the various crimping gears serve both to shape the wire and to advance the wire. The positioning of the crimps of the wire between the two sets of crimping gears by the bushings so that the second set of gears will produce the desired shape is important in the device. Likewise, uniformity of the bending is insured by this bushing. The proper timing of the operating parts is also important. If desired, the positioning of the blades on the various cutting discs may be staggered for smoother operation without sacrice of uniformity.l The accessibility of the various operating parts, as by removal of upper gear block 23, is important for proper threading of the device and for substitution of operating parts for making different sizes and shapes of packing material. Another important feature of the device is that a minimum number of direct drive connections to the various parts, and particularly the horizontal crimping gears, are required; and at the same time not more than one gear is driven through the wire in any drive sequence. The latter feature minimizes the danger of breakage of the wire. The Idevice also provides adequate guides to permit the wire to be properly directed from its advancing means in a pushed actionwithout danger of such deection as would detract from the uniformity of the elements 53.

We claim:

l. A wire working device comprising a frame, means for journaling a wire reel on said frame, means for successively crimping a wire sinuously in two different planes, said crimping means serving to advance said wire, means for guiding said wire, and means operating in timed relation to said last acting crimping means for shearing said crimped wire in uniform lengths, said guide means including a narrow guide passage between said crimping means.

2. A wire working device comprising a frame, means for journaling a wire reel on said frame, means for successively crimping a wire sinuously in two different planes, said crimping means serving to advance said wire, and means positioned between said crimping means for positioning the wire crimps produced by the first acting crimping means in a predetermined plane as the wire is advanced to the last acting sinuously crimping means.

3. A wire working device comprising a frame, means for journaling a wire reel on said frame, means for successively crimping a wire sinuously in two different planesjthe last acting crimping means serving to advance said wire and operating at a slightly greater peripheral speed than said rst acting crimping means, and shearing means operating in timed relation to 'said last 4. A wire working device comprising a frame, means for journaling a wire reel on said frame, a toothed wirecrimping means journaled transversely of said frame, a second toothed wire crimping means journaled vertically of said frame, and slotted guide means between said f Q5. A wire working device comprising Va frame,

wire feed means carried by saidv frame, a pair of crimping gears journaled on said frame, a'second pair or crimping gears journaled on said frame on an axis angularly displaced from the aXis of and operating at faster speed than said first crimping gears, slotted wire guiding means between said gear pairs and means for shearing wire crimped by said means, said shearing means and said second pair oi crimping gears being driven in timed relation and said crimping gears serving to advance said wire to said shearing means.

6. A wire working device comprising a frame, wire feed means carried 'oy said frame, a pair of crimping gears journaled on said frame, a second pair of crimping gears journaled on said frame on an axis angularly displaced from the aXis of and operating at faster speed than said rst crimping gears, slotted wire guiding means between said gear pairs and means for shearing wire crimped by said means, said shearing means and said second pair oi' crimping gears being driven in timed relation and said crimping gears serving to advance said wire to said shearing means, and means for guiding said wire from said second crimping gears to said shearing means.

'7. A wire working device comprising a frame, wire feed means carried by said frame, a pair of crimping gears journaled on said frame, a second pair of crimping gears journaled on said frame on an axis angularly displaced from the axis of said first crimping gears, and means for shearing wire crimped by said means, said shearing means and said crimping gears being driven in timed relation and said crimping means serving to advance said wire to said shearing means, and a casing enclosing said second crimping gears and having guide passages for said wires including a narrow passage leading to said second gears.

8. A wire working device comprising a frame, wire feed means carried by said frame, a pair of crimping gears journaled on said frame, a second pair of crimping gears journaled on said frame on an axis angularly displaced from the axis of said first crimping gears, and means for shearing wire crimped by said means, said shearing means and said crimping gears being driven in timed relation and said crimping gears serving to advance said wire to said shearing means, and a gear block recessed to receive said second crimping gears, said block having aligned passages for receiving and guiding said wire including a leadin passage of a width and depth corresponding to the lateral dimensions of wire crimped by said first gears.

9. A wire working device comprising a frame, 5

wire feed means carried by said frame, a pair of crimping gears journaled on said frame, a second pair or crimping gears journaled on said frame on an axis angularly displaced from the axis of said first crimping gears, and means for shearing wire crimped by said means, said shearing means and said crimping gears being driven in timed relation and said crimping gears serving to advance said wire to said shearing means, a gear block recessed to receive said second crimping gears, said block having aligned passages for guiding said wire to and from said gears, and a bushing in the passage leading to said second gears having a narrow guide slot for positioning the crimps of said wire formed by said iirst crimping gears.

10. A wire working device comprising a wire feed means, means for sinuously crimping wire in one plane, means for again sinuously crimping said crimped wire in a different plane, means between said crimping means for restraining said crimped wire against rotation, and means operating in timed relation to said last n amed crimping means for severing said crimped wire in uniform lengths.

11. A wire working device comprising a wire feed means, means for sinuously crimping wire in one plane, means fof 'again sinuously crimping said crimped wire in a different plane, means between said crimping means for restraining said crimped wire against rotation, and means for severing said crimped wire in uniform lengths, and means for operating said second crimping means at a greater peripheral speed than said rst crimping means whereby said second crimping means tensions the crimped Wire fed thereto and reduces the amplitude of the bend of said wire in said rst plane,

GEORGE B. BAILEY. OTTO ZIEGLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the nie of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 767,883 Grafton Aug. 16, 1904 1,246,145 Nelson Nov. 13, 1917 2,153,936 Owens et al Apr. 11, 1939 2,378,058 Blumensaadt June 12, 1945 2,281,195 Jacobs Apr. 28, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Y Country Date 674,250 France Oct. 21, 1929 

